Grand Prix

McLaren Boss Andrea Stella Reveals Papaya Rules Plan For F1 2026

The rules of engagement split opinions between pundits and fans last year.
Ewan Gale|
Credit: McLaren Racing

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has indicated that the reigning Formula 1 constructors' champions will continue to implement their Papaya rules this term.

Lando Norris came out on top in the drivers' championship after a year-long battle with teammate Oscar Piastri, though the McLaren duo were ultimately separated in the standings by a resurgent Max Verstappen.

Throughout the year, McLaren used its rules of engagement - dubbed Papaya rules - to ensure fair and equal fighting between the two drivers, though the quest for equality drew controversy on more than one occasion.

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Lando Norris leads McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest. | McLaren Racing

A slow pitstop for Norris at Monza after the Briton had given up priority to help Piastri saw the Australian leap ahead, with McLaren stepping in to switch the positions back around, drawing ire from fans of the driver of the #81.

Norris was handed consequences for contact with Piastri at the Singapore Grand Prix, though that was equalized by the roles being reversed in the United States GP sprint.

McLaren looking to "evolve"

Given the attention given to the Papaya rules across the 2025 season, Stella was asked at the Autosport Awards in London whether the saga had been put to rest and whether the rules would still be used.

"There is nothing in F1 that you put to rest," Stella told Autosport. "You need to continuously evolve, continuously review and continuously find a way to do better.

"Even when it comes to the racing principles that we apply in the way we go racing at McLaren with Lando and Oscar, while we could confirm even in the review post-season and in the ongoing conversations, we confirm the principles of fairness, equality, sportsmanship, that's the way we want to go racing because that's the way we feel better presented.

"At the same time, there are many things in which we can find ways of doing things better. Hopefully, if we can find a way to do the same but in a simpler way, more streamlined way with less work for everyone, that will be an important improvement for the future."

McLaren is one of a handful of teams waiting until after the first pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - held behind closed doors - to hold a season launch.

The team based in Woking, England, is opting to forego running on day one of the first test to maximize development, as per The Race, with squads allowed to run on any three of the five days.

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Ewan Gale
EWAN GALE

Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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